Grants

TGCFF donated $4,500 to West Hawthorne and his family to help pay for their hotel and food costs that were not covered by insurance. They were unable to stay at Queen's Hospital with their young daughter Selah (smiling so big in the picture) so they had to stay off campus.

Shane Dorian, Kona local and professional surfer, generously raised and donated $30,000 to Yurik and his ohana thru TGCFF with the assistance of another local non-profit More Than Sport. More Than Sport made it possible to pass the money on to Yurik thru TGCFF's donation collection efforts to assist our brother Yurik with the expenses involved with his injury and accessibility needs that arose at his home. We were able to meet up with Yurik and his family at his home with Shane, More Than Sport's founder and professional triathlete Chris Lieto, and TGCFF board members Grant Kojima and Kainoa Willey. Yurik said that he can't stress enough how much the community and his Fire ohana has helped him out transitioning back home since his injury, and is overwhelmed with the love and support he's received, which is very similar to the outpouring of support that Greg received when he was battling cancer and envisioned the creation of TGCFF.

TGCFF is grateful and honored to work alongside Chris and More Than Sport to provide a means to get financial assistance to our brother Yurik from an amazing athlete and philanthropist like Shane. Here is a little description of what More Than Sport does:

MORE Than Sport, the brand for good in sport, is inspiring a global movement of athletes and brands dedicated to creating positive social impact and transforming lives around the world. Through our incredible fundraisers and donors, the support of our athletes, amazing corporate partners, and the MTS marketplace, the MORE than Sport community has supplied over 39,000 meals to those facing hunger, provided over 292,000 nights of shelter, supported 500 students in receiving educational resources and ensured over 30,000 individuals will receive clean water for life.

MORE Than Sport combines the teamwork, talent, drive, and dedication of the global athletic community to create actionable change in the communities in which we work, live and play. For more information go to https://www.morethansport.org/

Again, a HUGE mahalo to Shane and his family for their generous donation, and also Chris at More Than Sport for assisting TGCFF with getting the money to Yurik and his family.

On behalf of The Greg Cameron Firemen’s Fund, thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Steve Mankoff for their generous grant of $1,000.00 “in honor and support of the Firefighters who fought the recent South Kohala brush fire and saved our home.”

It is through the generosity of caring individuals such as them that we are able to continue our mission to provide financial support for Hawaii Fire Department employees and their families who face extraordinary expenses or loss of work due to prolonged illness, injury or personal hardship.

Again, we greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness and support for our local firefighters.

HFD Water Safety Officer Kaleo Hauanio and his wife Cata lost their beautiful daughter Phoenix in a tragic auto accident on Feb. 14, 2015. She will be missed by her entire family and many friends. TGCFF provided a grant to the family to support Kaleo’s prolonged absence from duty while he cared for his family during a very difficult time.

HFD Fire Captain Christian Wong and his family were presented with a grant on Nov. 21, 2014. The funds were provided to help the Wong family meet bills associated with care for their young son, who was burned in an accident. The Wong family traveled with their son to emergency care in Honolulu, and were able to stay with him while he underwent medical procedures and a long recovery process.

"My family and I would like to express our extreme gratitude to The Greg Cameron Firemen's Fund and all those who support the Foundation for providing assistance to us in our time of need...the gift you gave us does not only represent a monetary amount, it also represents the most precious thing a person could ever receive: time. How many times did I get to hear my son's laughter because I was able to stay with him because of your gift? How many hugs and good night kisses did I receive because of your gift? You may have measured the gift you gave us in dollars and cents but I measure it in story times and tuck-ins and for that I am truly grateful to all of you for giving us this most precious gift.

HFD Water Safety Officer William Abraham stationed at South Kohala suffered multiple fractures and other injuries in an accident that prevented him from being able to work for several months. TGCFF provided a grant on June 21, 2014 to assist with his bills.

HFD Captain Cap and Anela Dekoning received an outpouring of community support after a storm blew the roof off of their home. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the storm destroyed most of their possessions. TGCFF provided a grant to the Dekoning family to help with expenses. See a media report here.